Master control panel for loading dock equipment

ABSTRACT

A unified docking apparatus is provided. It includes a single set of controls to operate a vehicle restraint, a dock door, a barrier device, a dock seal, and a loading light. Some optional embodiments include selector switch to select which apparatus the single set of controls will control. Other optional embodiments automatically select the apparatus to be controlled by the single set of controls. A method of operating a docking apparatus using a single set of controls is also provided.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to control panels forloading dock equipment. More particularly, the present invention relatesto a simplified and unified control panel for operating loading dockequipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention is a master control panel which simplifies theoperation of loading dock equipment. In addition to having a dockleveler and overhead door, a loading dock may also have a vehiclerestraint, loading light, barrier gate and inflatable shelter. If thevarious devices are power operated rather than manually operated, thewall beside the doorway may be cluttered with various control panels.Not only is the space between doors often very restricted, but the costof the electrical installation can be significant. This situation can beimproved with the installation of a combination control panel whichincludes all of the controls in a single enclosure. The combinationpanel not only saves space but may also reduce the cost of electricalinstallation. One criticism of existing combination panels has been thatthe operator may be confused by the various number of switches and pushbuttons, and the proper sequence of operation.

[0003] Description of Related Art

[0004]FIG. 1 illustrates a loading dock with a driveway 1, dock wall 2,dock floor 3. A pit 4 is recessed in the floor 3. A dock levelerassembly 10 has a deck assembly 11, and a frame assembly 12 which ismounted in the pit 4. Lip keepers 14 are mounted to the front of theframe. The rear of a deck assembly 11 pivots on the frame assembly 12and has a lip hinge 13 at the front. A lip assembly 15 is supported atone end by the lip hinge 13 and has the other end resting on the lipkeepers 14.

[0005] The doorway of the loading dock can be closed by a movable door18, shown partially open. A vehicle restraint assembly 20 is mounted tothe wall 2 and has a hook 21, which moves vertically to engage the ICCbar of a truck or tractor trailer (not shown). A light assembly 23 ismounted beside the doorway and has a red light 24 and a green light 25to signal the truck driver. Two signs 26 and 27 instruct the driver tomove only when the green light is illuminated. The sign 26 has reversedlettering to be legible when viewed in the truck mirror. A loading light28 is mounted beside the doorway to illuminate the interior of thetrailer during loading. A barrier gate assembly 30 has a barrier arm 31which moves from a horizontal position where it prevents access to thedoorway to a vertical position where it allows access to the doorway.

[0006] An inflatable shelter assembly 35 has two side bags 36 and a headbag 37 which are inflated by a motor and blower (not shown). When atruck or trailer is at the dock, the bags inflate to form a seal betweenthe truck or trailer and the dock wall.

[0007]FIG. 2 demonstrates a typical loading dock area with controlpanels for a hydraulic dock leveler, electric vehicle restraint andpower operated door. The dock leveler control panel 40 has threebuttons, button 41 raises the dock leveler deck assembly 11, button 42extends the hinged lip plate 15, and button 43 is an Emergency Stopwhich stops all of the dock leveler functions. The vehicle restraintcontrol panel 50 has a selector switch 51, an engage button 52 and arelease button 53. Three lights 55, 56 and 57 which are red, amber andgreen respectively, indicate to the dock operator the status of thevehicle restraint. The selector switch 51 has three positions, Off, On,and Lights Only, which allows the operator to bypass the vehiclerestraint if the truck or trailer cannot be captured by the vehiclerestraint and must be restrained by wheel chocks. The door control panel60 has three buttons, an Open button 61, a Close button 63 and a Stopbutton 62.

[0008] The normal operating sequence of the equipment is as follows:

[0009] When the dock is not in use, the exterior green light 25 isilluminated to indicate that the truck driver may approach or leave thedock. The interior red light 55 is illuminated to indicate that the dockis not in a condition for use. The operator selects the vehiclerestraint control panel 50 and presses the engage button 52. The vehiclerestraint hook 21, of FIG. 1, rises to engage the truck or trailer. Whenthe hook 21 starts to rise, the exterior red light 24 is illuminated toindicate that the truck driver cannot leave. When the truck or trailerhas been effectively restrained, the interior green light 57 isilluminated to indicate that the dock is ready to use. If the vehiclerestraint 20 cannot restrain the trailer, the dock operator mustmanually chock the truck or trailer wheels. The operator may then turnthe selector switch 51 from On to Lights Only. Both the interior greenlight 55 and amber light 56 are now illuminated to indicate that thedock is safe to use, but that the operator should use greater cautionbecause the vehicle restraint 20 has not engaged the truck or trailer.

[0010] The operator selects the door control panel 60 and presses theDoor Open button 61 to open the door 18.

[0011] The operator selects the dock leveler control panel 40 andpresses the Raise button 41 to raise the deck assembly 11, extend thelip assembly 15, and releases the button to lower the leveler onto thetrailer. Pressing the Lip Extend button 42 allows faster operation bycausing the lip 15 to extend before the deck assembly 11 is fullyraised. Pressing the Emergency Stop button 43 causes the dock leveler tostop so that it will not descend on top of any misplaced cargo.

[0012] If a loading light 28 is installed it may have a manual switch ormay be automatically turned on when the door is opened. Similarly, aninflatable shelter 35 may be operated by a manual switch or beautomatically turned on when the door is opened.

[0013] When the loading operation is finished, the operating sequence isreversed.

[0014] The operator presses the dock leveler Raise button 41 to raisethe deck assembly 11, fold the lip assembly 15 and then releases thebutton to lower the dock leveler to the stored position.

[0015] The operator presses the Door Close button 63 to close the door18. Pressing the Stop button 62 causes the door to stop before itcloses.

[0016] The operator presses the Release button 53 and the vehiclerestraint hook 21 lowers to release the trailer. When the hook 21 startsto lower, the interior red light 55 is illuminated to indicate that thedock is not ready for use. When the hook is fully lowered, the exteriorgreen light 25 is illuminated to indicate that the truck driver mayleave.

[0017]FIG. 3 demonstrates a typical combination control panel withcontrols for a hydraulic dock leveler, electric vehicle restraint andpower operated door. The control buttons and switches have the identicalfunctions of the separate panels in FIG. 2. Often, a Programmable LogicController (PLC) is used to allow many different control sequences andinterconnect relationships. A PLC accepts input signals from variousdevices such as limit switches and push buttons and then transmitsoutput signals to various devices such as lights, relays and motors inaccordance with the logic defined by the control program. The use of aPLC is well known in the loading dock industry and the specificelectrical circuits and program statements are not shown nor discussedherein.

[0018] Although the control buttons and switches are arranged infunctional groups and are clearly labeled, an untrained operator mayfind that the number of buttons and their differing locations make theproper sequence of operations seem confusing. Therefore, this inventionprovides a combination panel with all of the advantages of compact spaceand economical installation, and with a simplified operating sequence.

[0019] Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a simplified combinationpanel for controlling loading dock equipment and a method for operatingloading dock equipment with a simplified control panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0020] It is therefore a feature and advantage of the present inventionto provide a combination panel with all of the advantages of compactspace and economical installation, but with a simplified operatingsequence.

[0021] The above mentioned features, and other features and advantagesare achieved through the use of a novel master control panel as hereindisclosed. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention,the invention includes a unified controller for controlling a loadingdock apparatus comprising a control panel for providing a common areafor operator controls and signals; operator signal lights located on thecontrol panel and operatively connected to the loading dock apparatusfor signaling an operator that a loading dock is at least one of readyfor loading, not ready for loading, and operator be cautioned; aselector switch located on the control panel, and operatively connectedto the loading dock apparatus to permit selective operation of a vehiclerestraint, a dock door, and a leveler apparatus; a first operationcontrol attached to the control panel wherein the first operationcontrol engages the vehicle restraint when the selector switch isselected to operate the vehicle restraint, the first operation controlopens the dock door when the dock door is selected by the selectorswitch, and the first operation control controls the raising andlowering of the dock leveler to an operative and a stored position, andextends and retracts a lip portion of the dock leveler when the dockleveler is selected by the selector switch; a second operation controlattached to the control panel, wherein the second operation controlextends a lip portion of the dock leveler when the dock leveler isselected by the selector switch, the second operation control closes thedock door when the dock door is selected by the selector switch, thesecond operation control disengages the vehicle restraint when theselector switch is selected to operate the vehicle restraint, and; athird operation control attached to the control panel, wherein the thirdoperation control is an emergency stop control configured to stopoperation of the loading dock apparatus; operator indicator lightslocated on the control panel, wherein the indicator lights indicatewhich of the vehicle restraint, door, and dock lever the operationcontrols will activate; and a vehicle restraint bypass switch located onthe controller, wherein the vehicle restraint bypass switch mayselectively bypass the dock loading apparatus causing the firstoperation control to not engage the vehicle restraint, but activate theoperator control signal light to indicate at least one of ready forloading, and operator be cautioned, and the second operation control tonot disengage the dock loading apparatus.

[0022] In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention,the invention includes a controller for controlling a loading dockapparatus, the apparatus including a vehicle restraint, a door, aloading light, a dock leveler, the controller comprising a control panelfor providing a common area for operator controls and signals; operatorsignal lights located on the control panel and operatively connected tothe loading dock apparatus for signaling an operator that a loading dockis at least one of ready for loading, not ready for loading, andoperator be cautioned; selector switch located on the control panel, andoperatively connected to the loading dock apparatus to permit selectiveoperation of a vehicle restraint, a dock door, and a leveler apparatus;a means for controlling the loading dock apparatus, the means attachedto the control panel, wherein the means controls the vehicle restraintwhen the selector switch is selected to operate a vehicle restraint, themeans controls a dock door when the dock door is selected by theselector switch, and the means controls a dock leveler when the dockleveler is selected by the selector switch; an emergency stop controlattached to the control panel, configured to stop operation of theloading dock apparatus; operator indicator lights located on the controlpanel, wherein the indicator lights indicate which of the vehiclerestraint, door, and dock lever the operation controls will activate;and a vehicle restraint bypass switch located on the controller, whereinthe vehicle restraint bypass switch may selectively bypass the dockloading apparatus causing the means to not control the vehiclerestraint, but activate the operator control signal light to indicate atleast one of ready for loading, and operator be cautioned, when thevehicle constraint is engaged or bypassed and control signal light toindicate that the dock is not ready for loading when the vehiclerestraint is not engaged and not bypassed.

[0023] In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention,the invention includes a method of controlling a loading dock apparatuswith a single unified controller comprising configuring a first andsecond operation control to control a dock door by selecting a dock dooroption with a selecting switch; operating a dock door by operating thefirst operation control to open the dock door and operating the secondoperation control to close the dock door; configuring the first andsecond operation control to operate a dock leveler by selecting a dockleveler option with the selecting switch; operating a dock leveler byraising and lowering a dock leveler by operating the first operationcontrol and extending and retracting a lip portion of the dock levelerand extending a lip portion of the dock leveler by operating the secondoperation control.

[0024] In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention,the invention includes a control panel for a loading dock apparatuscomprising; an operator means located on the control panel for operatinga loading dock apparatus, a controller means associated with the controlpanel for causing the operator means to operate at least two of avehicle restraint, a loading dock door, a loading dock door seal, and adock leveler and lip in a predetermined sequence, wherein the operatormeans, when activated, activates the loading dock apparatus to beoperated next in a predetermined sequence.

[0025] In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention,the invention includes a control panel for a loading dock apparatuscomprising; an operator means located on the control panel for operatinga loading dock apparatus, a selector means located on the control panelfor selection between at least two of a vehicle restraint, a loadingdock door, a loading dock door seal, and a dock leveler and lip, whereinthe selector means causes the operator means, when activated, to operatethe loading dock apparatus that is selected by the selector means.

[0026] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the invention in order that the detailed description thereofthat follows may be better understood, and in order that the presentcontribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course,additional features of the invention that will be described below andwhich will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

[0027] In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of construction and to thearrangements of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0028] As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that theconception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilizedas a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systemsfor carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It isimportant, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including suchequivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spiritand scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029]FIG. 1 a perspective view of a loading dock with dock leveler,door, vehicle restraint, barrier gate, loading light and inflatableshelter;

[0030]FIG. 2 is a front view of a typical dock wall with multiplecontrol panels;

[0031]FIG. 3 is a front view of combination control panel havingmultiple controls for different pieces of equipment;

[0032]FIG. 4 is a front view of one optional embodiment of a combinationcontrol panel in accordance with the invention with a simplifiedoperating sequence;

[0033]FIG. 5 is a front view a second optional embodiment of combinationcontrol panel in accordance with the invention with a simplifiedoperating sequence;

[0034]FIG. 6 is a front view of a third optional embodiment of acombination control panel in accordance with the invention with asimplified operating sequence;

[0035]FIG. 7 is a front view of a fourth optional embodiment of acombination control panel in accordance with the invention withautomatic features;

[0036]FIG. 8 is a front view of several optional manual select switches;

[0037]FIG. 9 is a front view of an optional configuration of manualselect switches;

[0038]FIG. 10 is a front view of an optional selector switch forselecting different operating modes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0039] In accordance with a first optional embodiment of the invention,FIG. 4 shows a control panel 70 a which operates a hydraulic dockleveler 10, FIG. 1, vehicle restraint 20 and power operated door 18. Thepanel has a selector switch 71 with three positions, Restraint, Door,Dock Leveler, push buttons 72, 73 and 74, (which may be referred to asoperation controls, in other embodiments the operation controls mayinclude other types of operation controls than push buttons such aslevers, switches, turn key operators or other common input devices) andthree indicator lights 75, 76, 77. An array of 6 operating symbols 81through 86 indicate the operational functions of each button. Threelights 65, 66 and 67 (which may be referred to as operator signallights) which are red, amber and green respectively, indicate to thedock operator the status of the vehicle restraint. A selector switch 78provides an bypass for the vehicle restraint 20 similar to the LightsOnly position of the selector switch 51 on the conventional vehiclerestraint control panel 50.

[0040] The normal operating sequence of the dock equipment is in thesame order as described above, but there are fewer control buttons andthe operation sequence is presented in a more logical sequence. Theinterior lights 65, 66 and 67, and the exterior lights 24 and 25 havethe same functions for all of the control panels in this application andwill not be described again.

[0041] The operator turns the selector switch 71 to Restraint. Theindicator light 75 is illuminated to indicate that the symbols for thevehicle restraint, 81 and 82 in the first column, are in effect.

[0042] The operator presses the button 72 to cause the vehicle restrainthook 21 to rise and engage the truck or trailer.

[0043] The operator turns the selector switch 71 to Door. The indicatorlight 76 is illuminated to indicate that the symbols for the door, 83and 84 in the second column, are in effect.

[0044] The operator presses the button 72 to open the door 18.

[0045] The operator turns the selector switch 71 to Dock Leveler. Theindicator light 77 is illuminated to indicate that the symbols for thedock leveler, 85 and 86 in the third column, are in effect.

[0046] The operator presses the button 72 to raise the deck assembly 11,extend the lip assembly 15, and releases the button to lower the leveleronto the truck or trailer. Pressing the button 73 allows fasteroperation by causing the lip assembly 15 to extend before the deckassembly 11 is fully raised.

[0047] When the loading operation is finished, the operating sequence isreversed.

[0048] The operator presses the button 72 to raise the deck assembly 11and retract the lip assembly 15 and then releases the button to lowerthe leveler 10 to the stored position with the lip assembly 15 restingon the lip keepers 14.

[0049] The operator turns the selector switch 71 to Door. The indicatorlight 76 is illuminated to indicate that the symbols for the door are ineffect.

[0050] The operator presses the button 73 to close the door 18.

[0051] The operator turns the selector switch 71 to Restraint. Theindicator light 75 is illuminated to indicate that the symbols for thevehicle restraint are in effect.

[0052] The operator presses the button 73 to cause the vehicle restrainthook 21 to lower to release the truck or trailer.

[0053] The three positions of the selector switch 71 and illumination ofthe lights 75, 76 and 77 clearly separate the functions of the variousdevices and illustrate the proper operational sequence.

[0054] Description of a Second Optional Embodiment.

[0055]FIG. 5 shows a control panel 70 b which is similar to the panel 70a in FIG. 4 but has additional functions. The panel has selectorswitches 71 and 78, push buttons 72, 73 and 74, and three indicatorlights 75, 76, 77. An array of 6 operating symbols 81 through 86indicate the operational functions of each button. In addition there isa selector switch 79 which has 3 positions Off, Automatic and Manual.Turning the selector switch 79 to the Off position shuts off electricalpower to the entire control panel 70 b. When the selector switch 79 isturned to Manual, the three positions of selector switch 71 (Restraint,Door, Leveler) have the same functions as previously described for panel70 a. Turning the selector switch 79 to the Automatic position providesa simplified, more automated sequence of operations. When the vehiclerestraint 20 is stored, the indicator light 75 is illuminated toindicate that the symbols for the vehicle restraint, 81 and 82 in thefirst column, are in effect.

[0056] The operator presses the button 72 to cause the vehicle restraintto engage the truck or trailer.

[0057] When the vehicle restraint 20 has engaged the truck or trailer,the indicator light 76 is automatically illuminated to indicate that thesymbols for the door, 83 and 84 in the second column, are in effect.

[0058] The operator presses the button 72 to open the door 18.

[0059] When the door 18 has opened or begins to open, the indicatorlight 77 is automatically illuminated to indicate that the symbols forthe dock leveler, 85 and 86 in the third column, are in effect.

[0060] The operator presses the button 72 to place the leveler on thetruck or trailer. Pressing the button 73 allows faster operation bycausing the lip 15 to extend before the leveler 10 is fully raised.

[0061] When the loading operation is finished, the operating sequence isreversed.

[0062] The operator presses the button 72 to raise the leveler, fold thelip 15 and then releases the button to lower the leveler 10 to thestored position.

[0063] When the leveler 10 is properly stored, the indicator light 76 isautomatically illuminated to indicate that the symbols for the door arein effect.

[0064] The operator presses the button 72 to close the door 18.

[0065] When the door 18 is fully closed, the indicator light 75 isilluminated to indicate that the symbols for the vehicle restraint 20are in effect.

[0066] The operator presses the button 73 to cause the vehicle restraint20 to release the truck or trailer.

[0067] Thus the entire operational sequence can be performed by simplypressing buttons 72 and 73 in the proper sequence as indicated by thelights 75, 76 and 77 and the graphical symbols 81 through 86 associatedwith each button.

[0068] Description of a Third Optional Embodiment.

[0069]FIG. 6 shows a control panel 70 c which is similar to the panel 70b in FIG. 4 but has additional functions. The panel has selectorswitches 71 and 78, push buttons 72, 73 and 74, and three indicatorlights 75, 76, 77. The selector switches 71 and 78 have the samepositions and functions as previously described. This control panel alsocontrols additional equipment including a barrier gate 31, an inflatableshelter 35 and a loading light 28. Selector switch 87 has threepositions Raise, Automatic and Lower. When the Automatic position isselected, the barrier gate 31 is automatically raised (also referred toas disengaged) when vehicle restraint 20 has secured the truck ortrailer and automatically lowers (also referred to as engaged) beforethe vehicle restraint 20 releases the truck or trailer. It is to beunderstood that while the barrier is shown in FIG. 1 as a gate, in otherembodiments of the invention the barrier could be in forms other than agate. In embodiments with other types of barriers the controller willengage and disengage the barrier. Similarly, selector switch 88 hasthree positions Off, Automatic and On to control the inflatable shelter35. When the Automatic position is selected, the shelter 35 isautomatically inflated when the door 18 is opened and is allowed todeflate when the door 18 is closed. When the Off position is selected,the shelter 35 is disabled, and remains off when the remaining dockloading apparatus is operating.

[0070] Selector switch 89 has three positions Off, Automatic and On tocontrol the loading light 28. When the Automatic position is selected,the loading light 28 is automatically turned on when the door 18 isopened and is turned off when the door 18 is closed. When the Offposition is selected the loading light 28 is disabled and remains offwhen the remaining dock loading apparatus is operating.

[0071] The Raise and Lower positions of selector switches 87, and theOff and On positions of selector switches 88 and 89 allow manual controlof the barrier gate 30, the inflatable shelter 35 and the loading light28. For example, the operator may wish to leave the door 18 open and theshelter 35 to remain deflated for ventilation in hot weather, or theselector switches may be used to manually operate each deviceindependently for inspection or maintenance. Also, a selector switch 107as shown in FIG. 10 may be included on the control panel 70 c. Thisselector switch 70 may have positions Manual and Automatic. When theManual position is selected, the door 18 can be left open forventilation in hot weather. When the selector switches are all set toAutomatic, the operation is now:

[0072] When the vehicle restraint is stored, the indicator light 75 isilluminated to indicate that the symbols for the vehicle restraint, 81and 82 in the first column, are in effect.

[0073] The operator presses button 72 to cause the vehicle restraint 20to engage the truck or trailer.

[0074] When the vehicle restraint 20 has engaged the truck or trailer,the barrier gate 30 automatically raises and the indicator light 76 isautomatically illuminated to indicate that the symbols for the door, 83and 84 in the second column, are in effect.

[0075] The operator presses the button 72 to open the door 18.

[0076] When the door 18 starts to open, the inflatable shelter 35automatically starts to inflate. When the door 18 has fully opened, theloading light 28 is automatically turned on and the indicator light 77is automatically illuminated to indicate that the symbols for the dockleveler, 85 and 86 in the third column, are in effect.

[0077] The operator presses the button 72 to raise the leveler 10 andreleases the button 72 to lower the leveler on to the truck or trailer.Pressing the button 73 allows faster operation by causing the lip 15 toextend before the leveler 10 is fully raised.

[0078] When the loading operation is finished, the operating sequence isreversed.

[0079] The operator presses button the 72 to raise the leveler 10, foldthe lip 15 and then releases the button to lower the leveler 10 to thestored position.

[0080] When the leveler 10 is properly stored, the indicator light 76 isautomatically illuminated to indicate that the symbols for the door arein effect.

[0081] The operator presses the lower button 73 to close the door 18. Asthe door 18 starts to close, the loading light 28 is automaticallyturned off.

[0082] When the door 18 is fully closed, the inflatable shelter motorstops and the shelter 35 starts to deflate, and the indicator light 75is illuminated to indicate that the symbols for the vehicle restraintare in effect.

[0083] The operator presses button 73 to cause the vehicle restraint 20to release the truck or trailer. The barrier gate 30 automaticallylowers and then the vehicle restraint 20 releases the truck or trailer.

[0084] Thus the entire operational sequence can be performed by simplypressing buttons 72 and 73 in the proper sequence as indicated by thelights 75, 76 and 77 and the graphical symbols associated with eachbutton.

[0085] Although the door 18 and inflatable shelter 35 operation can becontrolled automatically, additional selector switches 106 and 88 canprovide over-ride functions to allow the door 18 to remain open or theinflatable seal 35 to remain deflated for ventilation in hot weather.

[0086] It is evident from the previous descriptions that there can bemany variations in the dock equipment and sequence of operations.However, having multiple functions provided by the repeated presses of asingle button provides control of the sequences and simplifies theoperation.

[0087] Automatic Control for Loading Dock Equipment.

[0088] Description of a Fourth Optional Embodiment.

[0089]FIG. 7 shows a control panel 100 which has an even more simplifiedoperation sequence. Three lights 65, 66 and 67 which are red, amber andgreen respectively, indicate to the dock operator the status of the dockequipment. The inside red light 65 indicates that the truck or traileris not ready to load, and the inside green light 67 indicates that thetruck or trailer is ready to load. The inside amber light 66, eithersteady or flashing, may be used to indicate a truck present, operator becautioned, or error conditions. The selector switch 51 has twopositions, Normal and Lights Only which bypasses the vehicle restraint20 if the truck or trailer cannot be secured by the vehicle restraint20. The selector switch 51 may be momentarily in the Over-Ride position,then return by spring or other means to the Normal position. A pushbutton could be used in place of the selector switch.

[0090] This control panel 100 may control many loading dock deviceswhich could include a vehicle restraint 30, door 18, barrier gate 30,inflatable shelter 35 and a loading light 28. The control panel 100 alsohas two push buttons, 101 labeled “A” and 102 labeled “B”. The pushbutton 43 operates a maintained contact Emergency Stop switch.

[0091] Operation of the equipment is controlled by a programmablecontroller. Such devices are well known in the industry and will not bedescribed in detail. The basic requirement is that each piece of dockequipment has sufficient limit switches or sensors which send signals tothe controller to indicate the state of equipment. The controller thensends signals to enable the motors or actuators for the various devices.For example, a vehicle restraint 20 usually requires 3 sensors, one eachto indicate that the vehicle restraint 20 is stored, fully raised, andwhether the ICC bar of the truck or trailer has been engaged. Similarlya door 18 usually requires at least 2 sensors, one to indicate that thedoor 18 is closed, and another to indicate that it is fully opened.However a manually operated door 18 may require only one sensor toindicate whether it is fully opened, or raised high enough to clear theoperating range of the dock leveler 10. When the proper conditions havebeen achieved, the controller will then enable the motors or actuatorswhich operate the next device. Such a control system is very flexibleand is not limited to specific devices or specific operationalsequences.

[0092] The sequence of operations will be described for a dock which hasa vehicle restraint 20, power operated door 18, barrier gate 30,inflatable shelter 35, loading light 28. Note that this document merelydescribes envisioned typical sequences of operations. In practice,sequences may be modified in accordance with the invention to suit aspecific customer requirement.

[0093] After a truck or trailer has been positioned at the dock door 18,the operator presses the Arrival button 101 marked “A”. The vehiclerestraint 20 then starts to raise the restraining hook 21, and theoutside lights 23 change from green to red to indicate that the drivershould not move the vehicle. If the hook 21 cannot engage the ICC bar,the inside red and amber lights 55 and 56 will alert the operator. Theoperator should then secure the truck with manual wheel chocks or othermeans, and then turn the selector switch 51 to the Override position tocontinue the operation. If the ICC bar is secured, the operation willcontinue automatically. When the vehicle restraint 20 has engaged thetrailer, the controller will then send a signal to raise the door 18. Asthe door 18 starts to open, the controller will start the blower motorfor the inflatable shelter 35. When the door 18 is fully opened, thecontroller will raise the barrier arm 31 to allow access to the truck ortrailer, and turn on the loading light 28. When the barrier 31 is fullyraised, the inside green light 67 will indicate that the dock is readyto use. The operator may now use the button 101 marked “A” to raise thedock leveler.

[0094] When the loading operation is finished, the operating sequence isreversed. The operator presses the “Truck Departure” button 102 marked“B” to initiate the sequence. The dock leveler 10 automatically raisesto fold the lip 15 and lowers to the stored position. When the leveler10 is properly stored, the operator again presses the button 102 marked“B” and the entire sequence will be reversed to lower the barrier, closethe door 18 and release the vehicle restraint 20. Additional operatingenhancements may be included in the control program. For example, thecontroller may require that the “Truck Departure” button be held forseveral seconds before the restoring sequence begins. This would preventoperation by someone inadvertently pressing the button. Also, an audiblealarm may be energized when the “Truck Departure” button is pressed towarn dock workers that the door is about to close and the truck will bereleased. Other enhanced features may include a time delay beforereleasing the vehicle restraint to ensure that the inflatable shelterhas had time to deflate.

[0095] Also, at any time the operator may push the Emergency Stop button43. This will stop all operation of the equipment. When the problem hasbeen resolved, the operator will pull out Emergency Stop button 43 andthen may press the “A” button to continue the operation or press the “B”button to restore the equipment to the initial state. Thus the entireoperational sequence can be performed by simply pressing the buttons 101and 102 without requiring the operator to make decisions about thesequence of operations.

[0096] Although this control system makes the operation very simple, itdoes not prevent the flexibility required for maintenance or specialoperating needs. This control system has the ability to provide specialoperating sequences.

[0097] For maintenance, there is often a requirement for independentoperation of a specific device. For example, if the vehicle restraint 20malfunctions, there is a requirement to operate the vehicle restraint 20independently without initiating the door open sequence. FIG. 8 showsseveral selector switches which allow independent operation of theequipment used in the sequence described previously. Because maintenanceor selection of special operating features is usually restricted to moreskilled or supervisory personnel, these switches may be mounted on theexterior of the control panel 70 a, 70 b, 70 c, 100 and may becontrolled by keyed switches or they may be mounted inside the controlpanel 70 a, 70 b, 70 c, 100 for use only by maintenance personnel. Also,instead of a rotary style selector switch, other configurations, such asa slide switch 108 shown in FIG. 9, may be used for many of the switchesdescribed herein.

[0098] Operation of the maintenance switches will be described. Selectorswitch 103 controls the operation the vehicle restraint 20. With theselector switch 103 in the Automatic position, operation is controlledby the programmable controller. Turning the selector switch 103 to theright or left causes the vehicle restraint 20 to be raised or lowered bythe maintenance technician. Similarly the selector switches 104, 105,106, and 107 provide manual control of the barrier gate 30, door 18,door seal 35 and loading light 28.

[0099] In the case of the dock light 28 and inflatable door seal 35, themanual control of off for those features will cause the dock light 28and door seal 35 to be disabled, and the controller will ignore the docklight 28 and door seal 35 to be disabled, and the controller will ignorethe dock light 28 and door seal 35 while automatically controlling theother devices through their normal sequences.

[0100]FIG. 10 shows a simplified configuration with only a vehiclerestraint 20, door 18 and dock leveler 30. Instead of a separateselector switch for each device, a single selector switch 109 allows useof the “A” and “B” buttons, 101 and 102, to raise or lower the device.Note that no selector switch position is required for the dock levelerbecause the selector switch 51 allows vehicle restraint bypass and thedoor must be open before the dock leveler is used.

[0101] In addition to operation for maintenance, the selector switchesmay also be used to bypass or override any device. For example, theselector switch 105 may be used to manually control opening and closingof the door 18 for maintenance purposes. However, in some climates theremay be a desire to leave the door 18 open on hot days. By turning theselector switch 105 to the “Open” position, the door 18 will remain openand the controller will ignore the door 18 while automaticallycontrolling the other devices through their normal sequences. Similarlythe other devices such as the barrier gate 30, door seal 35 and loadinglight 28 may be manually controlled.

[0102] An optional feature of any of the embodiments may include aselector switch (not shown) which permits an operator to operatedifferent dock bays with the same control panel. For example theselector switch may permit an operator to select bay A, B, C, or thelike.

[0103] While specific labels have been applied to positions of thevarious selector switches and controls, those labels are meant togenerally characterize the functions that will occur when variouspositions are selected. The specific labels themselves are not meant tobe limiting the invention to switches with those specific labels.

[0104] It is evident from the previous descriptions that there can bemany variations in the dock equipment and sequence of operations. Thenumber of devices and operations is limited only by the number of inputand output terminals on the controller. Having the functions operateautomatically in the correct sequence simplifies the operation of dockequipment for unskilled operators. The specific embodiments describedherein are exemplary. Features described herein may be added or deletedaccording to customer requirements and remain within the scope of theinvention.

[0105] The many features and advantages of the invention are apparentfrom the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by theappended claims to cover all such features and advantages of theinvention which fall within the true spirits and scope of the invention.Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occurto those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention tothe exact construction and operation illustrated and described, andaccordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resortedto, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An automatic loading dock controller, comprising:(a) a control panel for providing a common area for operator controlsand signals; (b) operator signal lights located on the control panel andoperatively connected to the loading dock apparatus for signaling anoperator that a loading dock is at least one of ready for loading, notready for loading, and operator be cautioned; (c) a first operationcontrol attached to the control panel, wherein the first operationcontrol, when activated, engages a vehicle restraint, opens a dock door,raises a dock leveler and lowers the dock leveler to an operative orstored position, and extend and retract a lip portion of the dockleveler; (d) a second operation control attached to the control box,wherein the second operation control, when activated, closes a dockdoor, and disengages a vehicle restraint; (e) a programmable controllerconfigured to selectively cause the first operation control to controlthe vehicle restraint, the dock door and the dock leveler according to apreprogrammed program, and selectively cause the second operationcontrol to control a lip portion of a dock leveler, close the dock doorand disengage a vehicle restraint according to a preprogrammed program;(f) a third operation control attached to the control panel, wherein thethird operation control is an emergency stop control configured to stopoperation of the loading dock apparatus; AND (g) a vehicle restraintbypass switch located on the control panel, wherein the vehiclerestraint bypass switch may selectively bypass the dock loadingapparatus causing the controller to not engage and disengage the vehiclerestraint to a vehicle, but activate the operator control signal lightto indicate at least one of loading dock ready for loading, operator becautioned, and loading dock not ready for loading, and proceed with anext operation in a sequence of operations.
 2. The automatic loadingdock controller of claim 1, further comprising a selectable manualbypass vehicle restraint control configured to select between at leastone of release, automatic, and engage, wherein when the selectablemanual vehicle control set for release, the vehicle restraint disengageswhen the selectable manual vehicle control is set for automatic, thevehicle control performs as described in claim 9, and when the vehiclerelease control is set for engage, the vehicle release engages.
 3. Theautomatic loading dock controller of claim 1, further comprising aselectable manual override door control configured to select between atleast one of close, automatic, and open, wherein when the selectablemanual door control is set for close, the dock door closes, when theselectable manual door control is set for automatic, the dock doorperforms as described in claim 9, and when the door control is set foropen, the dock door opens.
 4. The automatic loading dock controller ofclaim 1, further comprising a selectable manual override loading lightcontrol configured to select between at least one of on, automatic, andoff, wherein when the selectable manual loading light control is set foron, a loading light turns on, when the selectable manual loading lightcontrol is set for automatic, the loading light turns on when the dockdoor opens and turns off when the dock door closes, and when the loadinglight control is set for off, the loading light turns off.
 5. Theautomatic loading dock controller of claim 1, wherein the controlleralso controls a barrier gate, when the vehicle restraint is engaged orbypassed, the barrier gate disengages, when the vehicle restraint isdisengaged, the barrier gate engages.
 6. The automatic loading dockcontroller of claim 5, further comprising a selectable manual overridebarrier gate control configured to select between at least one ofengage, automatic, and disengage, wherein when the selectable manualbarrier gate control set for engage, the barrier gate is engaged, whenthe selectable manual barrier gate control is set for automatic, thebarrier gate performs as described in claim 13, and when the barriergate control is set for diengage, the barrier gate control disengages.7. The automatic loading dock controller of claim 1, wherein thecontroller further controls a door seal, wherein the door sealautomatically inflates when the vehicle restraint engagesd or bypassed,and deflates when a vehicle restraint is disengaged.
 8. The automaticloading dock controller of claim 7, further comprising a selectablemanual override door seal control configured to select between at leastone of inflate, automatic, and off, wherein when the selectable manualdoor seal is set for inflate, the door seal inflates when the selectabledoor seal is set for automatic, the door seal performs as described inclaim 15, and when the door seal control is set for off, the door sealdeflates.
 9. The controller of claim 1, further comprising a selectorswitch located on the control panel for selectively operating dockingloading apparatus for different docking bays.
 10. An automatic loadingdock controller, comprising: (a) a control panel for providing a commonarea for operator controls and signals; (b) operator signal lightslocated on the control panel and operatively connected to the loadingdock apparatus for signaling an operator that a loading dock is at leastone of ready for loading, not ready for loading, and operator becautioned; (c) means for controlling the docking apparatus attached tothe control panel, wherein the means controls a vehicle restraint,controls a dock door, controls a dock leveler, and controls a lipportion of the dock leveler. (d) a programmable controller configured toselectively cause the means for controlling the dock loading apparatusto control the vehicle restraint, the dock door, and the dock leveleraccording to a preprogrammed program. (e) an emergency stop attached tothe control panel, configured to stop operation of the loading dockapparatus; AND (f) a vehicle restraint bypass switch located on thecontroller, wherein the vehicle restraint bypass switch may selectivelybypass the dock loading apparatus causing the controller to not engageand disengage the vehicle restraint to a vehicle, but activate theoperator control signal light to indicate at least one of loading dockready for loading, operator be cautioned, and proceed with a nextoperation in a sequence of operations, when the vehicle restrainingapparatus is attached to a vehicle or is bypassed and the operatorcontrol signal light to display the signal the loading dock not readyfor loading when the vehicle restraining apparatus is not engaged andnot bypassed.
 11. The automatic loading dock controller of claim 10,further comprising a selectable manual bypass vehicle restraint controlconfigured to select between at least one of release, automatic, andengage, wherein when the selectable manual vehicle control set forrelease, the vehicle restraint disengages, when the selectable manualvehicle control is set for automatic, the vehicle control performs asdescribed in claim 26, and when the vehicle release control is set forengage, the vehicle release engages.
 12. The automatic loading dockcontroller of claim 10, further comprising a selectable manual overridedoor control configured to select between at least one of close,automatic, and open, wherein when the selectable manual door control isset for close, the dock door closes, when the selectable manual doorcontrol is set for automatic, the dock door performs as described inclaim 26, and when the door control is set for open, the dock dooropens.
 13. The automatic loading dock controller of claim 10, furthercomprising a selectable manual override loading light control configuredto select between at least one of on, automatic, and off, wherein whenthe selectable manual loading light control is set for on, a loadinglight turns on, when the selectable manual loading light control is setfor automatic, the loading light turns on when the dock door opens andturns off when the dock door closes, and when the loading light controlis set for off, the loading light turns off.
 14. The automatic loadingdock controller of claim 10, wherein the controller also controls abarrier gate, when the vehicle restraint is engaged or bypassed, thebarrier gate disengages, when the vehicle restraint is disengaged, thebarrier gate engages.
 15. The automatic loading dock controller of claim14, further comprising a selectable manual override barrier gate controlconfigured to select between at least one of engage, automatic, anddisengage, wherein when the selectable manual barrier gate control setfor engage, the barrier gate is engaged, when the selectable manualbarrier gate control is set for automatic, the barrier gate performs asdescribed in claim 30, and when the barrier gate control is set fordisengage, the barrier gate control disengages.
 16. The automaticloading dock controller of claim 10, wherein the controller furthercontrols a door seal, wherein the door seal automatically inflates thevehicle restraint engages or is bypassed, and deflates when a vehiclerestraint is disengaged and not bypassed.
 17. The automatic loading dockcontroller of claim 16, further comprising a selectable manual overridedoor seal control configured to select between at least one of inflate,automatic, and off, wherein when the selectable manual door seal is setfor inflate, the door seal inflates when the selectable door seal is setfor automatic, the door seal performs as described in claim 32, and whenthe door seal control is set for off, the door seal deflates.
 18. Theautomatic loading dock controller of claim 10, further comprising aselector switch located on the control panel for selectively operatingdocking loading apparatus for different docking bays.
 19. A method forautomatically operating dock loading apparatus comprising: at least oneof opening a dock door, and inflating a dock seal when the dock door isfully opened, raising a dock barrier, and turning on a loading light byoperating a first operation control a first time; raising a dockleveler, and extending a lip portion of the dock leveler by operatingthe first operation control a second time after a operator signal lightsignals a dock is ready for use; moving a dock leveler to a storedposition by operating the second operation control a first time and atleast one of, deflating the dock seal, turning off the loading light,and closing the dock door by operating a second operation control asecond time.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein operating an operationcontrol a first time also operates a vehicle restraint to attach thevehicle restraint to a vehicle and operating a second operation controla second time operates the vehicle restraint to release a vehicle. 21.The method of claim 20, further including selecting a vehicle restraintby-pass mode with a selector switch to bypass the vehicle restraint fromoperating when the operation control is operated, and proceed with anext operation in a sequence of operations.
 22. The method of claim 19,wherein operating the first and second operation controls includespressing a button.
 23. The method of claim 19, further includingstopping operation of a dock loading apparatus by operating an emergencystop control.
 24. The method of claim 19, further including operatingthe vehicle restraint separately from the barrier gate, dock door, doorseal, and loading light by selecting to release or engage the vehiclerestraint with a vehicle restraint selector switch.
 25. The method ofclaim 24, wherein the vehicle restraint selector switch requires a keyto operate.
 26. The method of claim 19, further including operating thebarrier gate separately from the vehicle restraint, dock door, doorseal, and loading light by selecting to release or engage the barriergate with a barrier gate selector switch.
 27. The method of claim 26,wherein the barrier gate selector switch requires a key to operate. 28.The method of claim 19, further including operating the dock doorseparately from the vehicle, restraint, barrier gate, door seal, andloading light by selecting to open or shut dock door with a dock doorselector switch.
 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the dock doorselector switch requires a key to operate.
 30. The method of claim 19,further including operating the door seal separately from the vehiclerestraint, barrier gate, dock door, and loading light by selecting torelease or engage the door seal with a door seal selector switch. 31.The method of claim 30, wherein the door seal selector switch requires akey to operate.
 32. The method of claim 19, further including operatingthe loading light separately from the vehicle restraint, barrier gate,dock door, and door seal by selecting to turn on or turn off the loadinglight with a loading light selector switch.
 33. The method of claim 32,wherein the loading light selector switch requires a key to operate. 34.The method of claim 19, wherein the second operation control is abutton, and operating the second operation control includes pressing thebutton for several seconds.
 35. The method of claim 19, whereinoperating the second operation control results in an autable alarmsounding.
 36. The method of claim 19, further comprising selecting theloading dock apparatus from a specific loading dock bay to with tocontrol selector switch.
 37. The method of claim 19, wherein the doorseal may be selectively disabled and not engaged by the first and secondoperation control.
 38. The method of claim 19, wherein the dock lightmay be selectively disabled and not engaged by the first and secondoperation control.
 39. A control panel for a loading dock apparatuscomprising: an operator means located on the control panel for operatinga loading dock apparatus; a controller means associated with the controlpanel for causing the operator means to operate at least two of avehicle restraint, a loading dock door, a loading dock door seal, and adock leveler and lip in a predetermined sequence, wherein the operatormeans, when activated, activates the loading dock apparatus to beoperated next in a predetermined sequence.
 40. The control panel ofclaim 39, wherein the controller means is configured to permit theoperator means to selectively operate at least one of a dock loadinglight and a barrier as part of the predetermined sequence.
 41. Thecontrol panel of claim 39, further comprising an additional selector forselecting which loading dock of a group of loading docks to operate.